Stranger: Back Home

As they were placed in the cave, the air grew thick with an overwhelming energy. The formation sparked to life, and the flames of Hellfire licked at the edges of their souls. Cold and relentless, a voice echoed in their minds: "This is the moment where you face what you've hidden from yourself. There is no escape, no running. Only the truth."

Misaki purification.

As Misaki drifted into the nightmare, her heart pounded like a drum. She stood alone before a towering wooden dummy, its blank face mocking her, taunting every misstep and failure. The shadows around her began to close in, whispering venomous words, "No talent. You're nothing. You'll never be enough." Each word struck deeper, like a blade, sinking into her spirit. 

Her fists clenched, trembling as she raised them to strike. "Come on… hit it," she whispered, but the first punch barely grazed the wood. It was weak and pathetic. Her heart sank. She struck again—nothing. The faces of her family appeared in the distance, their expressions clouded with disappointment. They began to fade one by one, leaving her to drown in the crushing weight of their silent judgment. Defeat wrapped around her like chains, dragging her down.

But something flickered deep within. A tiny ember, a stubborn refusal to give in. Through the suffocating darkness, a voice emerged—her own. "I am more than this." The words were barely audible initially, but they grew louder, more resolute. "I am more than this!" With a defiant scream, Misaki lunged at the dummy. Her punches came fast, each one stronger than the last. Her body moved with a ferocity she hadn't known she possessed, the shadows recoiling as the nightmare crumbled around her. With one final strike, the wooden figure shattered, splinters flying as she broke free.

The victory was short-lived. The moment the nightmare faded, the Hellfire surged through her veins. A new agony erupted. Misaki's body ignited, and it felt like every cell was being torn apart and rebuilt in the flames. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and her muscles screamed in torment, but she refused to cry out. Every second felt like an eternity, each wave of pain worse than the last. 

But she endured. Through the searing agony, through the fire that sought to break her, Misaki held on, unyielding. For thirty excruciating minutes, she fought through it, her spirit unbroken. By the end, she was reborn—her body purified, her soul stronger.

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His mind weighed heavily with concern as Xenos stood alone, watching the flames flicker in the distance. His sharp, unwavering eyes scanned the horizon as he muttered, "I only hope they have the strength to survive the purification until the end..."

An hour passed in silence. Then, he saw a figure emerge from the cave. Misaki, her face flushed and drenched in sweat, spotted her master and sprinted toward him. 

Without waiting for her to speak, Xenos's calm yet probing voice cut through the air. "How was the purification?"

Misaki stopped before him, still catching her breath. "Master, it was terrifying... like being trapped in my worst nightmare. But the power I feel now... it's beyond anything I imagined. The benefits are worth every bit of pain."

She hesitated, her brow furrowing. "But Master, I didn't feel the purification touch my providence corruption."

Xenos' eyes softened, a rare smile pulling at his lips. "Of course not. You were trapped in the mind realm, facing your own demons. But make no mistake, Misaki, your providence has shifted. You've shattered your limits. Your talent now burns brighter than ever before."

Her eyes widened, disbelief mixing with excitement. "Really, Master? I've—"

Before she could finish, Xenos touched her head, gently ruffling her hair like a proud father. "Yes, Misaki. You've grown. Now, let's wait for your brother and sisters. Their journey is not yet complete."

Misaki beamed, nodding as she stood beside him, waiting in silence.

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Valdir purification.

The cold air bit at his skin as the scene shifted around him, placing him again in the grand halls of his family estate. It was as if the walls were alive, breathing with a chill that cut more profoundly than the cold—the chill of disdain. The familiar sneers of his relatives echoed in the distance. Still, it was the mocking voice of his father that thundered above them all.

"Valdir Bjork… the son of the patriarch. And yet, here you are, nothing more than a disgrace. No talent. No future. You'll never reach tier 9—never!"

Valdir's breath quickened as the voices multiplied, filling the room like a swarm of locusts. His family's faces blurred, twisted into grotesque masks of contempt. They circled him, whispering venomous words.

"Look at him, the son who never lived up to his name."

"Even the weakest in the family surpassed him."

"What a joke. What a failure."

The weight of their judgment pressed down on him, suffocating him and pulling him to the ground. The walls closed in, tightening like a noose around his chest, the cold gnawing at his bones. He could feel the overwhelming pressure to be more than what he was, to live up to a name he thought he had already failed.

And yet, amidst the crushing weight of their scorn, something ignited within him. His faint but defiant voice echoed through the darkness: "Hard work triumphs over all."

The words cut through the barrage of insults, filling him with fire. His fist tightened, trembling with rage and resolve. He slammed it into the icy ground beneath him. A crack echoed through the hall. The faces faltered, and the walls shuddered.

Again, he struck—harder. "I am not nothing!" The ground beneath him splintered, the ice webbing out in jagged cracks. "I will not be defined by your judgment!" His voice roared with fury as he slammed his fist down one last time.

The walls shattered.

The weight lifted.

But freedom wasn't without pain. The Hellfire surged through his veins, burning every inch of him. His muscles screamed, and his bones cracked as they were torn apart and remade. For twenty agonizing minutes, he endured, each second dragging him deeper into the agony—but each second also forged him stronger. By the time the pain receded, Valdir stood tall. Not because of who he was born to be but because of who he had become.

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After 15 minutes of waiting, Valdir emerged from the shadows. He walked towards his Master.

"Master," Valdir said, his voice steady ", I have completed the purification process. You have gifted me a new life, and I will carry this debt with me forever." His eyes shone with gratitude, a fire igniting deep within them.

Standing tall and composed, Xenos placed a reassuring hand on Valdir's shoulder. "I am your Master; it is my duty to guide you. This is merely the beginning of your journey."

Valdir nodded seriously. " How do you feel?" Xenos inquired, his tone a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"Master," Valdir replied, a smile breaking his serious facade. I feel light—like every part of my being has been reborn. My mind is more transparent and sharper. I feel like I have finally released the burdens I've carried for so long." His words hung in the air.

Xenos met his gaze, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in approval. "This is only the beginning. The future stretches before you, vast and limitless as the starry sky. Together, we shall walk toward it, side by side."

Valdir's heart raced at the implication of those words, a spark of determination igniting within him. "I will, Master. I promise to embrace this path."

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